The decision to conduct the pre-boards, on the lines of the private schools, was taken under the ‘Prayas’ initiative of the directorate of secondary education, Bikaner

In a first, all the government schools in Rajasthan would conduct pre-board exams for the Class 10 students. The exams would be conducted for three subjects --- English, mathematics and science. The exams would be held on February 26, 27 and 28.

The decision to conduct the pre-boards, on the lines of the private schools, was taken under the ‘Prayas’ initiative of the directorate of secondary education, Bikaner. It is aimed at helping the students prepare better, allay their fears and help them spot and rectify their weaknesses ahead of the board exams that begin on March 9, said Vijay Kumar Acharya, joint director, secondary education.

“Earlier some schools used to conduct the pre-boards on their own. When I was the principal of a school, I too had conducted the pre-boards at my school. But this is the first time that all the schools in Rajasthan would collectively hold the exams,” said Acharya.

As part of the initiative, the directorate found that English, mathematics and science were the three subjects where students at the state-run schools needed to put in some extra effort. “To improve the performance of students in these subjects, B L Swarnkar, the director of the secondary education board, took this initiative. The best teachers were selected from across the state and special remedial study material was prepared by them that addressed common weaknesses of the students,” added the joint director.

The material was posted online and schools were directed to ustilse it. The directorate also conducted workshops for teachers in Hanumangarh, Ajmer and Jodhpur, where the best practices and tricks of teaching were discussed. “We want to improve not just quantitatively but also qualitatively,” added Acharya.

He said that if this initiative proves successful, the directorate would consider conducting pre-boards and preparing study material for Class 12 and Class 8 students too.